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Rams Head Coach Jeff Fisher – Post-Practice – September 5, 2013
(On if he’s named team captains)
“I have not named captains, they voted for captains. That’s the way we typically do it. And yes, defensive captain is (LB) James Laurinaitis. The special teams captain is (S) Rodney McLeod. We have two offensive captains (QB) Sam Bradford and (LT) Jake Long.”
(On if it means more to the players to vote on captains rather than being appointed by the coaches)
“Oh, yeah. You’re selected by your peers, and everybody got a chance to vote for all three phases. There were some close races there, but it does, you can tell. You get a sense for who the players look up to and who they respect and who’s deserving of it.”
(On if voting took place this week)
“No.”
(On what practice means in regards to preparing for Week 1 of the regular season as opposed to preseason)
“We’ve been practicing all along. As you got into the preseason, you practice partly for the preseason games towards the end of the week, but most of the training camp is about installation. And then as you get midway through camp, then it becomes more about the opener and the things that you want to feature early in the season.”
(On the importance of a strong start and how a win this week will help set-up the team later in the season)
“Well, we don’t look past it. We put a great deal of emphasis on it throughout camp because you have to get to a peak and you have to be ready for it. Then you just play them one at a time. Obviously, it’s important for everybody in the league to get off to a fast start, and that’s what we’re hopeful for.”
(On if he likes the idea of opening against a division rival)
“I like the idea of opening at home. The only thing better than playoff football in the National Football League is opening day and opening weekend. Having an opportunity to open at home is a great opportunity.”
(On Cardinals RBs Rashard Mendenhall and Ryan Williams)
“They’re physical backs. They’re good inside runners as well as outside runners. They stretch (the field). It requires gang tackling. Both of them are pretty secure with the football and they’re good without the football. They’re good receivers out of the backfield.”
(On wanting to see the young players at full speed in game action)
“Well, we have no choice so they’re going to play, and they’re only going to improve. Unfortunately, there’s going to be some growing pains with that. They haven’t played in a real game before, and I think there will be a little more of the settling down things taking place, as opposed to getting them fired up and emotional play. It’s just like take a deep breath and act like you’ve been here before and go out and make plays.”
(On the young players possibly getting too emotional before the game)
“We’ll keep them rested and hydrated, but, yeah, they just need to keep their heart rate down and just relax. That’s the key for the young guys – just relax and go play hard.”
(On RB Daryl Richardson)
“I think the only thing going through Daryl’s mind right now is to be productive and to help this team win – that’s it. Daryl’s a very unselfish player. He loves to play. He can play all day long and he knows that if he gets tired we’ve got some solid guys to back him up.”
Rams Offensive Coordinator Brian Schottenheimer – Post Practice – September 5, 2013
(On if he’s ready for the first game of the regular season)
“These games count? Yeah, absolutely. We’re looking forward to it. A division game, a good defense, new scheme. So again, there will be some wrinkles that we haven’t seen because they obviously didn’t show everything in the preseason. But, it’ll be a fun game. I think it’ll be a great atmosphere.”
(On if he looks at a defensive coordinator’s past tendencies when going up against him in his first year with a new team)
“Absolutely, yeah. The good thing is you have plenty of time to prepare for the game. You’ve got to be careful you don’t over-prepare, but I think we have a good feel of what we expect. There’ll certainly be some things that they do that we’ll have to adjust, but that’s when you have to trust your rules and the system takes care of it.”
(On what challenges the Arizona defense creates)
“Obviously, I think they went out and added some stuff in the secondary getting (S) Yeremiah Bell. I have a lot of respect for him, really a good football player. Bringing (CB Jerraud) Powers in on the one side. Obviously, in the draft they get (S Tryann Mathieu) – so, a good group. It’ll be a good challenge for us. Again, we’re going to come up and do what we do and hopefully play fast and have a good day.”
(On what he’s seen from watching Mathieu on film)
“Very instinctive, good player, plays way bigger than his size, got good coverage skills, good blitzer. I saw a clip today, he was blitzing off the edge and got a tight end from San Diego, got up underneath him and bull rushed him. Good football player, real good football player. He and (WR) Tavon (Austin) have had some battles in the past. It’ll be fun to watch them go at it.”
(On if the Cardinals move Mathieu around)
“I think, obviously, for a young player it’s hard to do a whole lot of things, especially in the secondary like that. He’s been normally in one spot. He’s playing inside in the nickel. But again, a good football player and a guy that we’ll know where he is at all times.”
(On the possibilities that he can draw up now with the players that he has on offense)
“Again, we’re thrilled that we have the guys we have. We feel great seeing Year 2 certainly. The young guys, the new guys have all picked it up really, really well. But again, this is just one step. It’ll be nice to actually have a game plan in place and be able to show things that you want to do, things that we’ve been doing against our defense all summer. We’re very, very excited with the guys we’ve got, been working well. It’s been a good week of prep.”
(On what challenges Arizona DE Calais Campbell creates for the offense)
“Great football player. Playing against him last year, obviously big, strong, physical guy, great effort. Their defensive line is one of the strengths of their group. You’ve got (DT Darnell) Dockett, you’ve got Campbell, the big nose (tackle) in there Dan Williams. Again, having competed against them all last year, they’re good players, but Campbell’s obviously one of the leaders of the defense and a real good player.”
(On how LG Chris Williams has improved)
“He’s done very well, very consistent. Obviously, big, strong guy. He and (LT) Jake (Long) are working very, very well together. Again, he’s done a great job and he’ll be ready to go. They’re going to bring a lot of stuff up front. They bring different games and stuff. Those guys playing together through the spring and training camp has been good.”
(On Arizona CB Patrick Peterson)
“I think he’s one of the top guys in the league. You see him, even in the preseason, playing with a lot of confidence. He’s a guy that every time you try to throw at him, you’ve got to make sure you see what’s happening. Obviously, he’s got great recovery speed and certainly ball skills. If he gets the ball in his hands, there’s not many guys that can tackle him. I think he’s one of the top corners in the league, certainly a guy that we’ll be very smart with what we do. We’ve already talked about it – when you’re throwing to his side, you better make sure you see what he’s doing.”
(On how different the offense will look compared to the preseason)
“There’ll be some similarities. There certainly will be things that are new. Obviously, just like they’re going to have things that we haven’t seen or haven’t worked on, but at the end of the day it comes down to we have a plan. They have rules to adjust to our plays, and they have defense that they’re going to show that we have seen in our rules. It certainly will have more to it that you saw in the preseason, but there’ll certainly be some similarities, as well.”
(On what Jake Long and RT Rodger Saffold’s strength and health means to the offense)
“Obviously, you want to keep your offensive linemen on the field playing together. Certainly the tackle position is one that they’re hard to replace. But again, they’ve both been working really, really hard. Both had really good camps. It’s nice that Rodger’s back, didn’t miss too much time, obviously, coming off the injury against Cleveland. It’s a big part to keep all of our guys healthy. We’ve got a lot of young guys, a lot of youth. So, just watching the way our guys practice, we’re smart the way we practice. They’re learning how to practice and that’s a big part of it because a lot of times injuries even happen in practice and not in the games. Both those guys are very important.”
(On if TE Lance Kendricks will get a full workload on Sunday)
“We’re very pleased with what he’s been doing. He has not missed a beat. Obviously, we’ll be smart with what we do with him, but again, what he’s shown us – he’s champing at the bit to go play and he looks game-ready.”
Rams Defensive Coordinator Tim Walton – Post-Practice – September 5, 2013
(On Cardinals QB Carson Palmer)
“We see a veteran quarterback obviously that knows how to play the game. He’s been successful a lot in his career. He has weapons around him, and (Head Coach) Bruce Arians does a good job of mixing up personnel groups and things like that. He has guys that he can get the ball to now, and they have a run game. So, when you have that weapon, that’s when he’s most effective.”
(On Cardinals WR Larry Fitzgerald)
“Obviously, he’s their No. 1 receiver, and they have other playmakers around him. That’s what makes it a challenge with those guys. They do a good job in the run game and shifts and motions and things like that, and the balanced personnel group they’ve got in the run game. And the other wide-outs – I think the receivers are the strength of their team. So, that compliments him.”
(On if they’re concerned about a vertical passing game because of Arians’ tendencies)
“Yes, they do a good job of blending in misdirection runs, shifts, motion, different personnel groups, and off of that, throwing the ball down the field. That’s been his staple. That’s what he’s about. They get you so they can try to take the top off the defense, and if you get soft to cover that, that’s when the run game can get you. So, we have to be well-balanced.”
(On S’s T.J. McDonald and Rodney McLeod)
“Those guys are prepared. We have two good young guys that love to play the game, that study, that are approaching this thing with a professional attitude. We’re excited about it. They’ll do just fine.”
(On bringing a strong pass rush opposed to being more concerned about coverage downfield)
“I think you mix it up. You’ve got to mix up the stuff that you’re doing. Like I said, he has played a long time and he understands the game. He understands himself and the type of offense they run, so they keep their stuff well-balanced. They’ll be able to try to have an answer, so we have to be smart with what we do also.”
(On bringing a strong pass rush to wreak havoc in the backfield)
“Yes, that’s the strength of our team. Our guys will do a great job. We look forward to the game. We allow a lot on our guys and there’s our seasoned group of players up there and they play with a lot of energy and effort. The good thing about it is we have a great supporting staff with the rest of those guys. The linebackers and DBs, they fly around, and we’ll also try to help complement those guys.”
(On the problems Fitzgerald presents for the defense)
“Well, they move him around a lot. They put him at different positions because they know people try to take him away, so they try to keep him moving around so you can’t get a beat on where he’s at. And he’s an experienced guy. He’s played the game for a long time, so he understands what people try to do to take him away from. So, they try to adjust well off that stuff.”
(On the problems RB Rashard Mendenhall presents)
“Mendenhall is a good football player. He’s been a good player for a while, and that’s why they brought him there. They give a running attack there to balance up so they don’t have try to be one dimensional. They can try to stay balanced and keep defenses off guard, so he becomes a big asset to them.”
(On if he’s excited for his first game as an NFL defensive coordinator)
“I’m excited about it. We have a great staff, a great supporting staff like I said. You’ll always hear me say that with (Linebackers) Coach (Frank) Bush and (Secondary) Coach (Chuck) Cecil and (Defensive Line) Coach (Mike) Waufle, and then (Assistant) Coach ‘Mac’ (Dave McGinnis) and those guys over on defense – great supporting staff. They make my job a lot easier adjusting to this deal, so I’m glad for the veteran support over there with those guys.”
(On if he’s named team captains)
“I have not named captains, they voted for captains. That’s the way we typically do it. And yes, defensive captain is (LB) James Laurinaitis. The special teams captain is (S) Rodney McLeod. We have two offensive captains (QB) Sam Bradford and (LT) Jake Long.”
(On if it means more to the players to vote on captains rather than being appointed by the coaches)
“Oh, yeah. You’re selected by your peers, and everybody got a chance to vote for all three phases. There were some close races there, but it does, you can tell. You get a sense for who the players look up to and who they respect and who’s deserving of it.”
(On if voting took place this week)
“No.”
(On what practice means in regards to preparing for Week 1 of the regular season as opposed to preseason)
“We’ve been practicing all along. As you got into the preseason, you practice partly for the preseason games towards the end of the week, but most of the training camp is about installation. And then as you get midway through camp, then it becomes more about the opener and the things that you want to feature early in the season.”
(On the importance of a strong start and how a win this week will help set-up the team later in the season)
“Well, we don’t look past it. We put a great deal of emphasis on it throughout camp because you have to get to a peak and you have to be ready for it. Then you just play them one at a time. Obviously, it’s important for everybody in the league to get off to a fast start, and that’s what we’re hopeful for.”
(On if he likes the idea of opening against a division rival)
“I like the idea of opening at home. The only thing better than playoff football in the National Football League is opening day and opening weekend. Having an opportunity to open at home is a great opportunity.”
(On Cardinals RBs Rashard Mendenhall and Ryan Williams)
“They’re physical backs. They’re good inside runners as well as outside runners. They stretch (the field). It requires gang tackling. Both of them are pretty secure with the football and they’re good without the football. They’re good receivers out of the backfield.”
(On wanting to see the young players at full speed in game action)
“Well, we have no choice so they’re going to play, and they’re only going to improve. Unfortunately, there’s going to be some growing pains with that. They haven’t played in a real game before, and I think there will be a little more of the settling down things taking place, as opposed to getting them fired up and emotional play. It’s just like take a deep breath and act like you’ve been here before and go out and make plays.”
(On the young players possibly getting too emotional before the game)
“We’ll keep them rested and hydrated, but, yeah, they just need to keep their heart rate down and just relax. That’s the key for the young guys – just relax and go play hard.”
(On RB Daryl Richardson)
“I think the only thing going through Daryl’s mind right now is to be productive and to help this team win – that’s it. Daryl’s a very unselfish player. He loves to play. He can play all day long and he knows that if he gets tired we’ve got some solid guys to back him up.”
Rams Offensive Coordinator Brian Schottenheimer – Post Practice – September 5, 2013
(On if he’s ready for the first game of the regular season)
“These games count? Yeah, absolutely. We’re looking forward to it. A division game, a good defense, new scheme. So again, there will be some wrinkles that we haven’t seen because they obviously didn’t show everything in the preseason. But, it’ll be a fun game. I think it’ll be a great atmosphere.”
(On if he looks at a defensive coordinator’s past tendencies when going up against him in his first year with a new team)
“Absolutely, yeah. The good thing is you have plenty of time to prepare for the game. You’ve got to be careful you don’t over-prepare, but I think we have a good feel of what we expect. There’ll certainly be some things that they do that we’ll have to adjust, but that’s when you have to trust your rules and the system takes care of it.”
(On what challenges the Arizona defense creates)
“Obviously, I think they went out and added some stuff in the secondary getting (S) Yeremiah Bell. I have a lot of respect for him, really a good football player. Bringing (CB Jerraud) Powers in on the one side. Obviously, in the draft they get (S Tryann Mathieu) – so, a good group. It’ll be a good challenge for us. Again, we’re going to come up and do what we do and hopefully play fast and have a good day.”
(On what he’s seen from watching Mathieu on film)
“Very instinctive, good player, plays way bigger than his size, got good coverage skills, good blitzer. I saw a clip today, he was blitzing off the edge and got a tight end from San Diego, got up underneath him and bull rushed him. Good football player, real good football player. He and (WR) Tavon (Austin) have had some battles in the past. It’ll be fun to watch them go at it.”
(On if the Cardinals move Mathieu around)
“I think, obviously, for a young player it’s hard to do a whole lot of things, especially in the secondary like that. He’s been normally in one spot. He’s playing inside in the nickel. But again, a good football player and a guy that we’ll know where he is at all times.”
(On the possibilities that he can draw up now with the players that he has on offense)
“Again, we’re thrilled that we have the guys we have. We feel great seeing Year 2 certainly. The young guys, the new guys have all picked it up really, really well. But again, this is just one step. It’ll be nice to actually have a game plan in place and be able to show things that you want to do, things that we’ve been doing against our defense all summer. We’re very, very excited with the guys we’ve got, been working well. It’s been a good week of prep.”
(On what challenges Arizona DE Calais Campbell creates for the offense)
“Great football player. Playing against him last year, obviously big, strong, physical guy, great effort. Their defensive line is one of the strengths of their group. You’ve got (DT Darnell) Dockett, you’ve got Campbell, the big nose (tackle) in there Dan Williams. Again, having competed against them all last year, they’re good players, but Campbell’s obviously one of the leaders of the defense and a real good player.”
(On how LG Chris Williams has improved)
“He’s done very well, very consistent. Obviously, big, strong guy. He and (LT) Jake (Long) are working very, very well together. Again, he’s done a great job and he’ll be ready to go. They’re going to bring a lot of stuff up front. They bring different games and stuff. Those guys playing together through the spring and training camp has been good.”
(On Arizona CB Patrick Peterson)
“I think he’s one of the top guys in the league. You see him, even in the preseason, playing with a lot of confidence. He’s a guy that every time you try to throw at him, you’ve got to make sure you see what’s happening. Obviously, he’s got great recovery speed and certainly ball skills. If he gets the ball in his hands, there’s not many guys that can tackle him. I think he’s one of the top corners in the league, certainly a guy that we’ll be very smart with what we do. We’ve already talked about it – when you’re throwing to his side, you better make sure you see what he’s doing.”
(On how different the offense will look compared to the preseason)
“There’ll be some similarities. There certainly will be things that are new. Obviously, just like they’re going to have things that we haven’t seen or haven’t worked on, but at the end of the day it comes down to we have a plan. They have rules to adjust to our plays, and they have defense that they’re going to show that we have seen in our rules. It certainly will have more to it that you saw in the preseason, but there’ll certainly be some similarities, as well.”
(On what Jake Long and RT Rodger Saffold’s strength and health means to the offense)
“Obviously, you want to keep your offensive linemen on the field playing together. Certainly the tackle position is one that they’re hard to replace. But again, they’ve both been working really, really hard. Both had really good camps. It’s nice that Rodger’s back, didn’t miss too much time, obviously, coming off the injury against Cleveland. It’s a big part to keep all of our guys healthy. We’ve got a lot of young guys, a lot of youth. So, just watching the way our guys practice, we’re smart the way we practice. They’re learning how to practice and that’s a big part of it because a lot of times injuries even happen in practice and not in the games. Both those guys are very important.”
(On if TE Lance Kendricks will get a full workload on Sunday)
“We’re very pleased with what he’s been doing. He has not missed a beat. Obviously, we’ll be smart with what we do with him, but again, what he’s shown us – he’s champing at the bit to go play and he looks game-ready.”
Rams Defensive Coordinator Tim Walton – Post-Practice – September 5, 2013
(On Cardinals QB Carson Palmer)
“We see a veteran quarterback obviously that knows how to play the game. He’s been successful a lot in his career. He has weapons around him, and (Head Coach) Bruce Arians does a good job of mixing up personnel groups and things like that. He has guys that he can get the ball to now, and they have a run game. So, when you have that weapon, that’s when he’s most effective.”
(On Cardinals WR Larry Fitzgerald)
“Obviously, he’s their No. 1 receiver, and they have other playmakers around him. That’s what makes it a challenge with those guys. They do a good job in the run game and shifts and motions and things like that, and the balanced personnel group they’ve got in the run game. And the other wide-outs – I think the receivers are the strength of their team. So, that compliments him.”
(On if they’re concerned about a vertical passing game because of Arians’ tendencies)
“Yes, they do a good job of blending in misdirection runs, shifts, motion, different personnel groups, and off of that, throwing the ball down the field. That’s been his staple. That’s what he’s about. They get you so they can try to take the top off the defense, and if you get soft to cover that, that’s when the run game can get you. So, we have to be well-balanced.”
(On S’s T.J. McDonald and Rodney McLeod)
“Those guys are prepared. We have two good young guys that love to play the game, that study, that are approaching this thing with a professional attitude. We’re excited about it. They’ll do just fine.”
(On bringing a strong pass rush opposed to being more concerned about coverage downfield)
“I think you mix it up. You’ve got to mix up the stuff that you’re doing. Like I said, he has played a long time and he understands the game. He understands himself and the type of offense they run, so they keep their stuff well-balanced. They’ll be able to try to have an answer, so we have to be smart with what we do also.”
(On bringing a strong pass rush to wreak havoc in the backfield)
“Yes, that’s the strength of our team. Our guys will do a great job. We look forward to the game. We allow a lot on our guys and there’s our seasoned group of players up there and they play with a lot of energy and effort. The good thing about it is we have a great supporting staff with the rest of those guys. The linebackers and DBs, they fly around, and we’ll also try to help complement those guys.”
(On the problems Fitzgerald presents for the defense)
“Well, they move him around a lot. They put him at different positions because they know people try to take him away, so they try to keep him moving around so you can’t get a beat on where he’s at. And he’s an experienced guy. He’s played the game for a long time, so he understands what people try to do to take him away from. So, they try to adjust well off that stuff.”
(On the problems RB Rashard Mendenhall presents)
“Mendenhall is a good football player. He’s been a good player for a while, and that’s why they brought him there. They give a running attack there to balance up so they don’t have try to be one dimensional. They can try to stay balanced and keep defenses off guard, so he becomes a big asset to them.”
(On if he’s excited for his first game as an NFL defensive coordinator)
“I’m excited about it. We have a great staff, a great supporting staff like I said. You’ll always hear me say that with (Linebackers) Coach (Frank) Bush and (Secondary) Coach (Chuck) Cecil and (Defensive Line) Coach (Mike) Waufle, and then (Assistant) Coach ‘Mac’ (Dave McGinnis) and those guys over on defense – great supporting staff. They make my job a lot easier adjusting to this deal, so I’m glad for the veteran support over there with those guys.”